IPNEWS: Controversial Cllr. Micah Wrights is in the news once more after he accused the Supreme Court overreaching its function and, usurping the function of the local bar in the admission of membership
Serving as keynote speaker, at the Montserrado Chapter of the Liberia National Bar Association convention in Sinkor on Saturday, May 24, Former Associate Justice Micah Wrights stated that the Supreme Court is going beyond its role and function in allowing lawyers to be admitted to local bars.
Cllr. Wrights argued that although it is proper for the Supreme Court to admit and, where necessary, withhold licenses of lawyers as part of its functions, it is not the function of the highest court to determine who becomes a member of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA).
The Liberian legal luminary argued that the admittance of lawyers and/or new lawyers into the bar should be the function of that body and not that of the Supreme Court. He stated that doing so would mean the Supreme Court is usurping the function of the local bar.
His comment comes nearly five years after the LNBA expelled Nigerian-born lawyer Cllr. Ndubuisis Nwabudike from the league on June 19, 2020, for allegedly forging his nationality status.
The LNBA said at the time that Cllr. Nwabudike became a member of the local bar through fraudulent means. But the Supreme Court overturned the LNBA’s decision mandating that the then former Liberia Anti-Corruption boss should be reinstated. Up until his expulsion from the LNBA, Cllr. Nwabudike continued to chair the Liberia Anti–Corruption Commission (LACC), a position reserved for lawyers, despite failing to prove he was a naturalized Liberian during the Senate confirmation hearing to chair the National Elections Commission (NEC). Having worked at the Good Governance Commission (GC), the Nigerian–born Cllr. Nwabudike, who insists he naturalized in 1982 as a Liberian, was serving tenure as LACC chair when former President George Manneh Weah appointed him in 2020 to head the NEC, his third job in less than two years.
Meanwhile, Cllr. Wrights called on members of the Montserrado bar to lead the process and scrutinize how new lawyers gain admission and acceptance to the bar.
He opined that the Montserrado Chapter of the LNBA should engage the LNBA and seek ways to clearly define murky processes and procedures.
The convention was graced by two distinguished senior counsels and members of the Montserrado bar in the persons of Cllrs James E Pierre and Lloyd Kennedy, along with special invited guest and former president of the LNBA Cllr Taiwan Gongloe as well as the Secretary General of the LNBA Cllr Bonoh Varmah.
Judge Kennedy Peabody of the 5th Judicial Circuit and Probate Court Judge Nicholas Edward were also in attendance.
The convention received the report of the Montserrado County Bar President Sam Cooper and thanked him for his service and commitment to the growth of the local bar.
The bar president then appointed Cllr Angelique Weeks to head the committee reviewing local bar admission processes and procedures.
It may be recalled, the Supreme Court in May 2018, finally restored the law license of Cllr. Micah Wilkins Wright, after being suspended for over a year by the Supreme Court of Liberia from the practice of law.
Wright was suspended in 2017 by the Supreme Court of Liberia for allegedly committing “conflict of interest in 2009 while he served as Liberia’s Solicitor General.
Cllr. Wright was at the time Liberia’s representative at the ECOWAS Court when he was suspended. Upon his suspension in his native Liberia, former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf wrote ECOWAS requesting the recall and replacement of Justice Wright.
The restoration of his license followed a petition to the Supreme Court, stating that he has complied with the terms and obeyed the mandate of the court by serving the suspension for the complete period ordered, which expired February 17, 2018.
“Petitioner now comes respectfully praying your honors to kindly restore petitioner to eligibility to practice law and thereby reinstate the petitioner’s license as a full fledge practicing lawyer within Liberia with all rights, entitlement, and privileges,” the petitioner states.
A month after his suspension, Wright filed an action of a violation of human rights in the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against Liberia.
The action was later withdrawn on January 29, 2018, to discontinue something that the court challenged to show evidence that he wasn’t in active practice while serving a suspension.
“I write herewith to forward to you, the court ECW/CCJ/ORD/01/18 dated January 31, 2018, in respect of the notice of discontinuance filed by the plaintiff in the above-mentioned suit.”
His petition said he has observed and complied with terms and condition laid down in the high court’s judgment by refraining and engaging in the practice of law directly or indirectly.
The judgment of the court adjudged that Wright ceased to sit as a judge on the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in March 2017. This meant that he ceased to practice law in obedience to the court’s opinion and mandate suspending him from the practice of law for the period of one year.
“The petitioner didn’t sign his complaint filed with the ECOWAS Court against Liberia following his suspension, which also shows that he did not engage in the practice of law even as a lawyer representing himself, further no evidence or information was brought to the attention of this court that the petitioner had practiced law in any other form during the period of his suspension,” the judgment said.
“Wherefore, the period for which the petitioner M. Wilkins Wright was suspended from the practice of law, having expired on February 17, 2018, this court hereby lifts the suspension imposed on him. His status as counselor-at-law of the Supreme Court Bar and as a legal practitioner in all courts of Republic is restored.”
The court furthered that Wright’s license to practice as a lawyer is hereby reinstated to enable him to pursue his professional career with all rights and privileges appertaining thereto.
The high court mandated the Clerk of Court, Atty. Sam Mamulu, to inform all courts in Liberia on the opinions and judgment.
